#pringles for lunch though

[steviewashere]

We need to make Steve Harrington less like cardboard. I am going to ramble, please bear with me. Listen if you want.

He had weird jock habits before. Wakes up at the ass-crack of dawn, goes on a three mile jog, lifts weights in his bedroom. Eats his "normal" breakfast which is like crazy: like four eggs, six pieces of bacon, some raspberries, maybe carrots, a full glass of milk, black coffee, four pieces of toast. He's gotta keep his energy up, y'know. Goes to school with a huge fucking backpack, a gallon sized jug of water, he carries around all of his textbooks because it's like a mini workout for him. Sometimes in lulls of classes or between periods, you'll find him talking to his group of friends, but he's actively stretching/doing yoga—his friends don't even acknowledge it because it just always happens. He eats the exact same lunch everyday: rice, chicken, broccoli, a banana, and a milk from the school. (Dude would love milk. Trust.) He'll do like two more workouts in his day: once in gym, and then whatever sport practice he has (basketball in the winter, swim in the spring, maybe a bit of football/soccer and baseball right before summer hits).

His music taste isn't crazy eclectic, but it's still tasteful. He loves Queen, loves Bruce Springsteen, loves TOTO. He's into the radio hits rock (which is classic now), but his favorite song (so I've heard in relation to the show) is "Hammer To Fall" by Queen—a song that wasn't widely popular on the radio. Yeah, he also likes Elvis; can make a reference when he needs to. But he does enjoy music. And, sure, yeah—he does like pop music; maybe that does include Madonna. And—listen to me—my stepdad, a guy who loves punk and metal and shit like that, he loves Madonna and Wham and George Michael on his own; because that's what was on the radio, he even owned some of these artists albums; it's not that strange for somebody like Steve to also like these artists. Though, they may not be his immediate go-to.

He takes good care of himself; appearance wise. His hairspray is Farrah Fawcett, but it's a product he picked up most likely from his mother. He styles it on his own, right after he works out in the morning. He probably knows how to iron his clothes; considering he wears things like chinos and polos, those things need to look nice and crisp for the babes (and non-babes alike). I wouldn't be surprised if he has a signature scent—like maybe...Calvin Klein's Obsession? Considering his family's tax bracket (that house is insane), he'd probably use high-end salon level hair products. He's using name brand detergents on his clothes.

And, yeah, I'm not sure if he's still living with his parents post season 3, but I think it's safe to maybe assume so—I feel like his parents are more caring about their only son than we give them credit for; his mom seems like a caring mother, as evident with the call she shares with Karen Wheeler, it seems like she'd usually be somebody to know Steve's whereabouts, that sort of thing. His dad is probably the most strict of his parents and has high expectations that Steve fails to meet. Because the high expectations are high. And maybe Steve didn't care too much about school, maybe enough to pass and still make all the teams he wants, but not enough to get him a scholarship. And, honestly, he was probably not a top-tier athlete at Hawkins High; maybe great, but not pristine. Hence why he had to actually try to make it into college, his entry wasn't guaranteed. And when he got rejection letters, probably including rejections for scholarships, his parents most likely denied to pay for him to go through schooling. And if he really wanted to go, he'd have to take out loans or something.

He probably gets Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone magazines in his mailbox. He smokes Marlboros, the high-end cigarette. He keeps his pantry stocked with name brand snacks; Pringles, for example. Probably tries to cater to those around him, as that's what he saw his parents do for guests. He's not a terribly selfish person at all, despite having douchebag attached to his name. He probably was very flippant about the way he cared about things, he laughed at bad jokes, and snarked his way through Hawkins High. He very rarely threatened violence—my guess, considering he's a shit fist fighter.

The way his parents' marriage is going probably affects his view on love, too. He wants something better than what his parents offer to each other. He wants a true love, fairytale sort of thing. Steve probably thinks that he'll sense some amount of clarity with whoever he gets along with. He's probably a big dreamer. Probably lonely. Wants six kids, a wide and sprawling family because then, at least, he'll have people to always take care of (to prove he is not his parents), and people who (hopefully) will always care about him. He wants a lot with whoever he falls in love with (Nancy or somebody else). But not a lot in material terms; he wants a lot of love, he wants warmth, he wants constant and sweet attention. He wants love. Not whatever bullshit his parents had; and he tries really hard to not be that bullshit, but knows he still fails anyway. He doesn't want quick things, despite constantly dating or hooking up, he wants something to last—though, nothing lasts. That's why he probably leans a lot on Robin, she has a sort of platonic love to him that he shares for her; that platonic love is probably the first time he felt like he had something to cling onto because it wasn't going to just leave or find fault. He didn't lose with Robin because they just got each other in a way he doesn't know how to replicate with anybody else.

With work, he's not sure what he wants. He wants something that keeps his interest, but nothing really has. He seems really in tune with sports, history, and literature—as there have been several attempts of his to make connections to these topics showcased on screen. (Although, admittedly, those references kind of fall short.) He doesn't enjoy work like Family Video, but he finds it easy enough that it becomes a mechanical, mundane task that he can complete without thought. I think, also, due to his interest in sports, he most likely has a vague interest in statistics or math—I think he's accidentally really good with math, but refuses to acknowledge that because he hated math in school. But he has a knack for it, no matter how hard he denies. He's probably also wicked good at working on cars. His Beemer has been through a lot and I think he doesn't trust anybody else to work on his car, so he learns to do it himself, and with the guidance of his dad.

Despite complaining about being the party's babysitter, he quite likes it. Likes being the nurturing older brother that he never had. I feel like he'd maybe get a little bit insecure about it from time to time, though. Maybe he'd feel like he's not doing enough for them to consider him that way. Maybe he'd feel like he's doing too much and forcing his way into their lives. I think, if Max's letter ever comes up again, he'd let those insecurities fall away—I truly feel like she considers him an older brother figure, a real one, a good one. I think he'd cry over it, honestly.

I think he does cry quite a bit. Just not around other people. So it seems like he's sort of constipated in his emotions. But, realistically, he doesn't allow himself that chance to crack until he's in the safety of his bedroom. Because, honestly, I feel like despite the "ugliness" to his oddball room, he finds a sort of sanctuary in it. That's where his things are. That's where his smell is. That's his safe space.

And on the topic of his room, I think he definitely helped pick out 90% of the stuff he has. His wallpaper and curtains match because he looked inside the catalog his mom presented to him one day, and he likes things to match—so that's what he picked. (His mom bit back a sigh and tried to keep her expression neutral. She thinks it was an awful pick, but whatever her baby wants.) His dad sometimes takes him on day trips, and once when he was a kid (maybe middle school age, maybe even as a freshman), they went into some interior decorating store or something and he saw the car picture and knew he had to have it, so his dad bought it. (It jumpstarted one of a few interests they share: Cars.) The bedding was his choice. The mattress and bed frame were not. Everything else in his room was his pick. The bowling pin came from a birthday party when he was a kid, he won it at the prize counter in the little arcade area of their local bowling alley.

He's friends with whoever will spare him the attention he craves. Whoever will laugh at his jokes. Whoever will agree with the stupid shit he wants to do. Whoever will chant as he shotguns another beer.

He drinks and smokes because of Tommy. Steve and his dad had a big argument or something before his dad left for some business conference. So Tommy says they should get into his dad's alcohol and find somebody to sell them cigarettes as a way to rebel. Steve thinks he's being soooo cool (he's being lame). Next thing he knows, he's got a cigarette craving and knows how to shotgun a beer a little too well.

The pocket knife he uses on the beer cans is a gift he got from his dad, probably. One that he received as a birthday present for his 15th or something. His dad probably said something stupid like, "Every man needs a good knife. Never know when you'll need one." It's got Steve's initials carved into it and everything. In hindsight, it's pretty cool and it's custom to him—it's one of the only significant and caring gifts his dad ever gave him.

He doesn't cook like amazingly, but well enough that he could survive living on his own in an apartment. He likes spaghetti bolognese. And macaroni and cheese. He knows how to make a fire meatloaf. Could probably perfect rice and chicken in a heartbeat. But he does sort of rotate the same meals over and over because he procrastinates learning new things sometimes.

He's not stupid, he just takes a little longer to process all the information he's given. And on top of that, he needs the opportunity to ask questions so he can fully understand. He only feels stupid when he's denied the chance. And denied the opportunity to explain or connect. (Connecting like you would when taking margin notes in an article—Cornell style if you know what I mean. Like maybe some of the text reminds you of something in your real life, so you understand the text better by making that connection. That's how Steve connects to things.) So, yeah, I think he's probably a little bruised whenever somebody—yes, even his close buddy Dustin—walks all over him and treats him like a child when it comes to things unknown to him; especially shit that's D&D or Upside Down related, he doesn't know what's happening, but he'd like to know.

Lastly, and then I'll stop talking in your face, I think he would have the most off-putting, morbid sense of humor after surviving the Upside Down. Like sometimes he makes too strong eye contact and makes some crazy fucked up joke at you and then you just shut down. Like it's hard for him to get laughter sometimes because he'll just say odd shit. And then eventually, when people are done being stunned around him, they're like nervous giggling. All the while thinking, "Jesus fucking Christ, Steve. What the hell." He still feels accomplished even when the laugh is barely a sound, he laughs the hardest at his own morbid jokes. Robin, Nancy, Eddie, and even Jonathan think he needs some serious therapy; clock's ticking, might be time to get on that.

But uhhh, yeah. Steve needs to be more than a stiff board of cardboard, we need to do him justice because the duffers sure as hell won't.

[vodika-vibes]

Vodika, my love, I answered my own question and decided to come back for more.

Can I get "Squeezing their hand reassuringly and holding their hand throughout an intense social situation" with Fives?

Except, instead of a social situation, can it be a scary doctor appointment? I recently had to go to the doctor to get a mysterious lump checked out, and I was terrified. I wanted someone to be there with me so badly, but alas, I am a single pringle.

Please and thank you 💚 (maybe one more)

@the-bad-batch-baroness

Stressful Appointments

Summary: When you have to attend a scary doctor's appointment, Fives promises to be there, no matter what.

Pairing: ARC Trooper Fives x Reader

Word Count: 606

Warning: Medical stuff...but there's no details

Tagging: @trixie2023

A/N: I can't even imagine. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in the middle of covid when I was living in Europe, she had to tell me over facebook messenger, and I broke down and cried for like 15 minutes after I got off the phone with her. So this one's a little short, because it hits a little too close to home, sorry.

Divider by Saradika

“You need to relax, cyare.” Fives says quietly, as he tugs you against his side, and pulls your head to his shoulder, “You’re spiraling, lovely.”

“I know, I know.” You nervously twist you comm between your fingers, over and over again, “Fives, what if-”

“Hey, hey. No.” He lightly taps your chin with one finger, and you turn to look up at him, “We’re not doing any what-ifs, cyare.”

“But-”

“No buts,” He smiles soothingly and lightly tugs on a strand of your hair., “There is no point in wondering what-ifs when we haven’t even spoken to your doctor yet.”

You worry your lower lip, and Fives sighs and rubs his thumb across your lip, to stop you, “I know you’re worried, love.” He says softly, “But you’re just going to make yourself sick if you don’t relax, just a little.”

His hand moves to cup your cheek, and you close your eyes and lean into his touch. And for a moment, you’re able to forget that you’re sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. 

“There we go,” Fives’ voice is low and soothing, “I’m here, cyare. And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Even if it’s bad news?” You ask, your voice slightly shaky. 

“Especially then.” He continues lightly smoothing his thumb across your cheek, “Will you look at me, cyare?”

You open your eyes and look up at him. His smile is warm and soft and so very loving, that for a moment you want to cry. 

“I love you,” Fives whispers, as though his words are for you and you alone.

You sniffle, “I love you too.” You rub your eyes roughly, trying to force the moisture away, “I’m just scared.”

“I know, cyare. But I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right there next to you, regardless of what the doctor says.” Fives promises.

A shaky smile crosses your face, “I don’t deserve you,” You whisper, as you reach up and cup his face.

“Tough, because I chose you, and I’m going to keep choosing you.” Fives leans in and chastely kisses your nose, “Besides, you were right there with me when I got my chip removed, how could I offer you anything less than what you gave me?”

“That was different-” You say quietly.

“Not to me.” He kisses your cheek and then your temple, “And when we get out of here, I’ll buy you an ice cream.”

You lean heavily against him, “Can we get lunch instead? We can make a day out of it.”

“Mm. That sounds fun.” Fives agrees as he brushes some of your hair out of your face, “We can hit up that cafe you like so much.”

“The one with the fancy bread?”

“That’s the one,” He replies with a small smile.

You tilt your head, “And then we can get ice cream?” You ask hopefully.

He laughs, “Yes, you spoiled thing, then we can get ice cream.” He leans in and kisses you gently, and you sigh into the kiss. Though, when your name is called by the nurse, you tense again. 

Fives takes your hand, and squeezes your fingers, “Come on, cyare. Let’s get this over with, hm?”

You look up at him, and nod slowly. “Yeah. Okay.” Yet let him pull you to your feet, and you smile up at him as he kisses your joined fingers. “You’re staying, right?” You ask, just to make sure.

“Oh, cyare. Count Dooku himself couldn’t make me leave.” Fives promises with a sharp grin. And all of the tension drains from your body once more. If Fives says so, than it’s true, as simple as that.

[kkpwnall]

a bit more of diyc for wip wednesday, per favore? 🥺🤲

hiiiii noah, thanks so much for the ask and the encouragement!! and since it's been a minute since last week's wip wednesday, here's an extra long excerpt just for you. immediately following this snippet:

He digs his own lunch out from under the counter. Swaps half of his ham and swiss for half of Eddie’s pb&j. Slides a can of pringles across the counter between them. Knocks his elbow against Eddie’s and rests there, leaning against the counter and into each other.  “Did you get any sleep last night?” Eddie shrugs, “More than none. Less than some.” Steve snorts. Ain't that the truth. "Yeah, same here. Got any other insomnia tricks we should try?" “I mean, the last time I slept well was...” Eddie trails off suggestively, raising his eyebrows and cutting his eyes to the van outside the window with his lips pursed in a smile. Steve follows Eddie's look, a small smile tugging at his lips too as he nods. Even though he woke up with a crick in his neck, reeking of sex and sweat and rainwater, it's the best he's slept in years. Definitely since spring break.  "That and uh..." he draws his thumb over his palm, working out some imaginary soreness while he holds Eddie's gaze.  Come to think of it, the only times he's slept really well, the only sleep that's felt like rest, has been the times he's slept with Eddie.  “My uncle’s working tonight…” Eddie starts slowly through a mouthful of ham and swiss, finishes with a shrug. “You could come over, if you want to.”  On the one hand, the largest hand, the one that’s easiest and most tempting to reach out and grab, he’s literally dying to get back in bed with Eddie. In every sense of the word. To spend more time with him, to spoil him, to take his time with him… On the other hand— “It’s a school night, Eddie,” Steve flounders. Wants to laugh at himself for such a weak fucking excuse. Wants to bang his head against the fucking counter.

[intimidating-fettuccine]

AAAGGH!!!!!!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ Satyr s/o is good food!!! I smacked the table upon getting the notification during lunch so hard my Pringles fell over

I’m glad you liked it!!!!!!! Take care of your pringles though :)

[namuneulbo]

week one hundred and seventy three

we moved into the dorm on monday and i immediately got a cold. i think it's the third one this year... we JUST started the month of march. it's almost over now though, thank god. i have a little cough left but that's about it. i feel bad for a in case i've given it to her now right before school starts.

me and a roamed around on monday and then i also went shopping myself in the evening. got a whole lot of shit from artbox and olive young for super cheap compared to sweden.

the orientation day on tuesday went well. my pms was acting up like crazy though. i felt like such an outsider i wanted to sob multiple times during the campus tour. i know it's just pms though that's making my feelings so big. had a fire pho for lunch though!

i have yet to have korean food apart from instant ramen and triangle kimbap. now that i got sick we haven't really left the dorm. or we have but only to get food. i feel bad for a. i did tell her she's allowed to like... do things without me so she doesn't feel obliged to stay here bc of me but she said she knows and that she's just bad at initiating going out by herself. i'm getting tired of being at the dorm all the time though. i'm so mad i got sick now when we still had a week of freetime left to do fun stuff all day. now it's just school all the way through until i go back to stockholm :(

we had a placement test on thursday. it was harder than expected and during the oral part the teacher just went "you're good at talking but the reading comprehension exam didn't go very well," I'M SORRYYYYYY! i'm giving up soon.

on a better note, i caught my first caseoh stream live. when i was in sweden, his streams were always in the middle of the night. now they're at 12 pm :') hell yeah! AND he read my chat. so i'm very happy!

we got id photos taken for our alien registration card on thursday. they're not allowed to be edited but they still edited them. i think it's a justifiable amount though. they just removed my acne really. they also had a super cute dog at the studio named ggongi who loved head scratches <3

we tried korean toast on friday. i was really excited about it but ended up not really liking it. i'm sad about it because i really thought i'd like it but it's way too sweet. i find it hard sometimes adjusting to the korean palette. everything's sweet. i miss salty savoury food and snacks. it works out obviously because if i'm really craving salt i'll just get a non-korean food. mcdonald's and pringles taste the same!

sotw: nct 127 - breakfast

[presidentkamala]

Been living/eating irresponsibly enough that i NEED to make a change; i'll keep all food/weight notes under a cut or a tw for anyone who doesn't need or want to see it.

Ws: Not becoming a demon at work, getting in 17k steps (thanks to an extremely energetic lunch break walking around the mall and then walking to dupont instead of just going to metro center; the wonders a beautiful day out will do), successfully showering before work AND lotioning, putting a load in the washing machine BEFORE work, and remembering to fill up my water bottle

Ls: could NOT get to sleep before at least 2 30 am mainly bc i was revenge bedtime procrastinating and also because i always tell myself "when i get up i'll do xyz and then go to sleep" and it starts to feel like a rule bc i dont WANT to do xyz and so i don't "have" to do it if i keep just rotting and scrolling and dont get up. I feel like i am CONSTANTLY having to relearn that i DON'T have to do xyz and i can just do x, or yz, or just z, etc. Woke up late again this morning w a pounding headache and had to skip breakfast and then my teabag ripped and it was gross trying to drink hot particle water so i had to dump out my tumbler before getting on the train. Then i was starving by the time i got to the office so i picked up a croissant and some mango juice and spent the rest of the day picking through freaking office candy even though i had successfully weaned myself off it months ago!!!! The real low point was getting green pringles at 4pm knowing i had delicious delicious real food waiting for me at home and no way to get to it.

Im just really struggling with cutting down the sugar in my diet and eating a regular, filling amount- even when i plan out my meals and snacks it feels like it doesn't matter i just find ways of getting these super salty, super sweet snacks so im trying to at least get some fiber involved by snacking on grapes, trail mix, etc

Need to brainstorm non-candy ways of coping with work stress while in the office but it feels like the only other thing i can come up with is walking as fast as possible away from my desk and getting away with a cheeky tumblr scroll WHICH ISNT ANY BETTER lmao

[angelbl-00-d]

7/21/24 (limit 1,200)

Breakfast:

Rice chew (15)

Lunch:

Protein bar (200)

Dinner:

Cheese omelette (262), banana pancakes (83), plum (33), nectarine (51)

Snacks:

Puffs (50), lil crunchies (35), konjac jelly (10), max mallow (30), kitkat (160), pringles (150)

Drinks:

Coffee (10), monster (10), sparkling water (0)

Water: 77oz/2.27L

Total: 1,099

I had a LOT of snacks today Because i delivered food all day but I stayed on top of it even though it was a metab day so we're all good

[keefiswhoiam]

May 13 - 2024 Monday

10:36pm

6.5/10

I had a very busy day today. I woke up and immediately took my shower. Then got dressed and had mom drive me to the grocery store for the month's groceries. I ended up getting a LOT, more than usual. I went all out, maybe because I was starving. I don't regret it though, I just bought maybe 1.5-2 months worth of some foods. I nearly needed 3 carts to get it all, but that was due to paper towels and other such taking up volume. At the checkout I let this guy go ahead of me that was in a hurry. The cashiers knew him. He was very thankful, he said it twice. I had to insist that he go ahead of me because he declined the first time. I don't think I came off as weird or awkward like I usually do, I kept telling myself it's all just like VRchat. No one really cares that much, if anything the richness of life comes from all these unpredictable social experiences. I also made a little conversation with the old cashier lady. When it came time to check out, I had a little emergency because it turned out I didn't have my debit card on me even though I tried to make sure I had it before I left. I mistook the feeling of my ID for my card. I realized my dad never gave it back to me after he used it to take out my rent. I ran outside to mom where we tried to scrounge up $450 in cash but we were a hundred short. She let me use my dad's credit card which thankfully went through. On the way home I got a slim jim and played my vaporwave music over the car speakers. At home I put away all my groceries and joined BR and them in a VC while I ate "breakfast" which was a teriyaki ramen bowl.

In stream I warmed up with more torso stuff since I've been struggling with the subject lately. I realized maybe I was being too structured and mathematical about it all so I became looser with how I was capturing the forms. For work I finished the commission I was working on which came out great and I sketched SK's thing and got her payment. Also got GZ's Venus comic ready. I ended 30 minutes early since I had done all my work and needed time to think on an idea for a Venus fallout piece as requested by a Patron.

During lunch BR DMed me and invited me to join in her art server VC where FY was too. This is the first time I can remember her inviting me to anything directly in a long while so I couldn't say no. It was a fun call, she was drawing vore and everyone was just vibin. I got boolied a lot as usual but not in a bad way. For lunch I wasn't too hungry since I ate breakfast late so I just had 1/3 the jar of pizza flavored pringles. I played Roblox horses until it was work time, then I screen shared the request I had to do and the pic I'm working on for DS of her horse. Then I worked about 45 minutes on the world for PZ. The VC had disbanded halfway through that so I put a Minecraft stream on the side to listen to. DS called me near the end so we hung out while I finished and she worked on her fursuit hooves. We watched some furry con content while I played KSP and then a few episodes of Moral Orel. THEN a good episode of She Ra. As is common sometimes, neither of us seemed to have a good idea of what to watch or engage in. Usually I'm down to watch anything and watching is the only option since she's working on stuff. But I get that it can be fun to submit to someone else's suggestions so I want to have some ready. She headed upstairs while I made a chicken strip and fries for dinner. We did puzzlies and I started playing the PC Monster High game for her, we came up with a skeleton girl named Patella and I actually like her a lot.

[mrs-allsunday]

Thank you 2023

I finally found the time to write! I wanted to spend a solid 20mins here but I already spent the last 5mins cleaning up my spilled berocca.

I'm also eating pringles now - oh life's sweet poison.

I spent the day rewatching one piece while looking after Yanah. I mean it in a sense that I'm letting her lead the play, I honestly don't think it's how they portray it on reels like an "absent" parent.

There are moments that we play, and times that I let her be.

I guess no right or wrong thing when it comes to parenting, eh?

We can really just see years and years from now with the hopes that she turns out a socially responsible person I aspire her to be.

But that's not for me to decide, right?

Right?

Well anyway, it's been 7 years since I last celebrated new year in the Philippines.

I've really gotten used to it already - no grand welcome, no fireworks, no "buffet". lol

Mostly, I'm already in bed when the clock strikes to 12.

Nevertheless, it has been peaceful the past years. No Christmas gathering of sorts - only the times at my old flat and my first year here with my neighbour from the Philippines.

Frankly, I cannot remember how we welcome the new year last year. lol

For now, I'll write about how we spent this new year's weekend!

Yanah finally received her first dose of Hep A vaccine! We intended to schedule her for one last November but we had to postpone it because things got busy plus me and Adi got COVID.

Then we all went back home to rest. Though I cannot really do that because our house was a mess. So I spent the day decluttering, folding clothes and cleaning! Adi did his fair share of tasks, and the day ended fine with me binge eating doritos while rewatching one piece!

NYE, we went out to Orchard to shop for Adi's stuff and look for a paper cutter for my project planner.

Having Yanah around, we're forced to become morning people and go to the mall on its opening hours lol

Yanah fell asleep after lunch so we had some peace and quiet while window shopping!

Before heading back home, we stopped by at Canberra Plaza to buy dinner and some groceries. Then, we walked back instead of taking bus.

Yanah stayed on her pram the whole time so that's really good. She kept on saying "it's cold, it's cold" though lol

So night came, and we put yanah to sleep after our usual night routine - eat, shower, play, sleep!

Adi and I then worked on my planner and finally printed it after so many hiccups 🤣

I'm really blessed with a crafter husband and he actually did the bulk of the work!

Adi went to sleep earlier than me and I continued cleaning up.

I sent some NYE greetings before going to sleep around 11+.

Adi and I woke up around 1am because Yanah had a night terror again and he greeted me a happy new year ❤️

With that, we're off to welcome Year 2024!

[markandtrish]

Vancouver

May 12

Another gloriously sunny day but with a gentle sea breeze - just right for a foot slog around Stanley Park!

We set off just after 9am and strolled down Robson Street to the Safeway supermarket. Food prices are high here but we managed to buy bread, cheese, crisps and tomatoes for lunch without quite breaking the bank.

From there it was just a short stroll to our destination - undoubtedly one of the most amazing urban parks in the world. Stanley Park is 100 acres of forests and lakes and a seven miles sea walk path and cycleway around the outside, which we decided to tackle.

After walking round part of Beaver Lake and then stopping to see amazing totem poles that stand 30-40ft tall,we set off against a backdrop of stunning scenery, with snow-capped mountains towering above the skyscrapers of North Vancouver across Vancouver Harbour.

For most of the way there were steep cliffs on the land side so we didn’t see any of the wildlife that lives in the woods - apart from a few of the beautiful jet black squirrels that live here - although there were signs warning to beware of coyotes (the advice given is to stand your ground with your legs and arms out to make yourself look bigger and shout 'go away Mr Coyote' at the top of your voice!)

We did though see plenty of birds along the shoreline including blue herons, cormorants and, of course, seagulls, together with tiny sand martins that live in the sea walls.

On the way we saw a statue that looked very like the little mermaid in Copenhagen but was in fact a girl in a wetsuit!

Just before we walked under the Lions Gate suspension bridge, we stopped to take pictures of the famous Siwash Rock, which is meant to be an ancient North American warrior who was turned to stone as a 'reward' for his good deeds.

Nearing the end of our long walk we were almost out of water but the thought of the concession stand marked on the map at Third Beach spurred us on.

Unfortunately we arrived to find it closed and the nearby upmarket restaurant wasn't selling takeaway bottles water to the likes of us!

Sat on a bench looking out to sea to eat our lunch and drink the last of our water, then trekked on to Second Beach to find the fast food shack was actually open!

Bought ice lollies - Mark raspberry and Trish mango - and ate them on the beach. Delicious!

Almost at the end of the sea walk we stopped for more refreshments at the Stanley Park Brewhouse. With our legs feeling increasingly tired we criss-crossed across town, stopping at a dollar bargain store to buy a plug which meant we could have a lovely relaxing bath after a rest-up at the hotel. Chatted to the lady at the store about her plans to visit London with her daughter. Told her June and September were probably the best months - she was so thrilled with the advice she gave us free packets of Ferror Rocher and Pringles when we left.

After a lovely bath we walked down to Davie Street for a quick beer before eating at La Belle Patate - a speciality poutine diner. Poutine is a local delicacy - chips and cheese curds smothered in a tasty gravy. Mark had his with Cajun chicken, Trish had a smoked meat sandwich with fries. Very filling!

Strolled back up to Robson Street for a last drink before heading home after a day of 17,500 steps each!

[hwrote]

a heavy roll of her eyes is the only response she deigns to give. of course he didn't know the child's name. that's the way silas moves through the world - barely giving the time of day or a care to anyone and yet he's adored. amara's charm usually came from playing hard to get, from being mysterious and aloof, and then becoming the most interested in whomever or whatever she was doing. but that didn't work so well with kids. they wanted you to engage from the onset. if there's a positive to be taken from silas' backhanded comment, it's that it rights amara into not caring as much about who theo's classmates might like more; and she has no desire to be a pta all-star.

as the class continues to move through each room of the museum, taking turns with who gets to interact with each display of illusion, amara finds her footing. when kids complain they haven't gotten a chance to engage with something, she's quick to help diffuse the tension. to the point that another classmate of theo's chides, "guys, we don't have to fight about it! mrs. stavros is making sure we all get a turn." amara nods with a smile of encouragement, hoping no one caught the shiver she had when she was called mrs. stavros. that's who she still feels like, in a lot of ways. though the farther out from the divorce she gets, the more returning to her maiden name appeals.

a bundle of kids surrounds both she and silas as they walk from exhibit to exhibit, with theo sticking closer to his mother. a fact that keeps amara's ego plenty high. silas may be accustomed to beating her in a multitude of categories but the fact that their son still has a preference is enough to silence him nine times out of ten. when lunch time comes, they're both split in making sure everyone is taken care of and not choking on a stack of pringles or half a piece of oreo that didn't go down the right way. after theo's teacher wolfs down her food at an impressive speed, silas and amara get a chance to sit. it's then that theo leaves his friends in favor of sitting with his parents for the remainder of lunch. "what's been your favorite illusion, dad?" he asks, eating from amara's container of grapes.

constant arguments and annoyance over the slightest things had become a routine. saying i love you felt more like an apology than a declaration of love. before either of them realized it, they were sitting across from each other in a conference room with a folder containing their divorce papers. silas' hand didn't shake when he signed the papers. letting the pen glide with ease like he were signing the bill at a restaurant instead of parting ways with the love his life. but he loves her, present tense.

"ah, c'est vrai." ah, so it is. brows raise delicately as he makes a show of looking at the time on his phone. a bit too young for his taste and he's certain that she shares the same sentiment. when one of theo's classmates approaches him, silas looks down at her and puts on a more pleasant expression. "i'll be right there... child." is he supposed to remember a name? before stepping forward to see what the all the hullaballoo is about, he looks back and says, "if you want to be a pta all-star like me, you can start by not sulking in the back. they're elementary school kids, not critics." perhaps worse. children are known to be excruciatingly blunt. boredom and not wanting to seem like a deadbeat dad after the divorce is what inspired him to get further involved in the parent teacher association.

[casketvamps]

hey, i finally have a good antivirus and a vpn, i’m becoming a real adult now

[fuckkwithtwoks]

Batkids and their fave patrol snacks!! (yes B carries all of them in his belt to this day)

Dick - fruit snacks. He was little when he started robining and fruit snacks were fun enough that he would eat them but Bruce could also get the healthy real fruit kind, so win-win.

Jason - Apple slices (usually with peanut butter) Jason is the reason everyone has different snacks because he is not a fan of fruit snacks. B just pivoted to bringing real fruit and this one stuck.

Cass - Trail mix, it must have M&Ms in there but other than that she'll eat any kind. She doesn't get what people's problem with raisins is (her second go to is chocolate covered ones) so she never picks them out.

Steph - Pringles. You can pry them out of her cold dead hands Bruce. Are they good for you? No. Are they quiet? Also no. She doesn't care and Bruce acts a bit annoyed by it but he still keeps them in his belt just in case and when she asks for a new flavor (she likes variety) he grumbles at her but switches them.

Tim - Peanuts. I've decided Tim is mildly allergic to tree nuts, but desperately wishes he wasn't. Also they're small and relatively quiet and quick to grab and throw in his belt because back when he started being robin, Bruce didn't carry snacks anymore, so Tim made do (eventually B notices he always brings them and starts carrying them for him)

Duke - A sandwich. Look, Dukes out mostly during the day and so it's just easier to make a quick sandwich in the morning to eat after school. It's way more filling too since everyone else goes out after dinner but usually it's been a few hours since Dukes had lunch.

Damian - Granola bars, he especially likes ones with chocolate chips in them, though he'd never admit it. He insists granola bars are his go to because they're more tactically smart since they're bars instead of individual little pieces of food.

Bonus:

Bruce - whatever weird leftovers his kids left. Only the orange fruit snacks because dick is almost thirty and still won't eat them. Tim's peanuts that accidentally ended up half mixed with Cass's trail mix and now Tim can't eat because there were walnuts in it. A pb&j Duke didn't get around to eating yesterday. Whatever's around that the kids can't, didn't, or won't eat.

[utilitycaster]

Wizard Breakdown Tracker: Mighty Nein Reunited, Part 1

GUESS WHO'S BACK

BACK AGAIN

SOUP WIZARDS

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

Hello and welcome to the return of the Wizard Breakdown Tracker, a late Campaign 2 feature that I realized just now I should have also done for EXU Calamity, but also good news, it's all, eventually, 10/10, pretty much all the wizards die except for possibly Volucia who noped the fuck out to Cael Morrow, and Maya Agrupnin who was Assigned Wizard By Patia. There. EXU Calamity Wizard Breakdown Tracker.

Every D&D game is better with wizards. As Liam O'Brien once said, "what's sexier than wizards? nothing." Now, to be fair, he also once said rogues were the best class when you and I and Brennan Lee Mulligan all know it's paladins; but we can all agree re: the sexiness of wizards. It is my hope that we have more wizards in the future, but for now, we shall cherish the wizards we once had, and that we briefly have again.

Because we're not touching base in this two-shot with a large number of our erstwhile arcane allies and antagonists, and in the service of a joke at the end of this post, we are including our Wizard PCs this time! Let's begin.

Lady Vess DeRogna: She was not in this episode nor mentioned but she WAS in The Nine Eyes of Lucien and she WAS talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, etc. No spoilers for that here. Just wanted you to know that Lady Vess DeRogna is still dead. But like, probably 7/10.

Ludinus Da'leth: Per Beau, the Assembly's gotten awfully quiet lately, and per Caleb, Astrid's been trying to set him up with a professorship, which Ludinus can't really spike because he did offer the Assembly seat to Caleb first so it's weird to say that he's qualified for propaganda minister and not transmutation professor. The Mighty Nein have made this slippery motherfucker sweat so hard that apparently he started making deals with the Feywild. 6/10.

Trent Ikithon: Hey Trent! Bitch.

As previously stated, 9/10.

Astrid Becke: Trent's in jail and she's apparently doing pretty well and is either happy to help Beau's investigation, or helping Caleb without realizing that Beau really wants this. Probably the latter, but we love to see a complicated morally gray queen flourish, though I suspect she's having Beau-like growing pains into her new and fancy job. 4/10.

Yussa Errenis: You can just sense, from his brief response to Jester, that he absolutely knows that the Mighty Nein saved his ass twice and that he will need to call them if he gets trapped on the moon in 7 years, but also he is sleeping, dammit. Secretly glad they keep in touch; really unamused at having 14 people dripping seawater in his tower, because Tidepeak is really more of a turn of phrase. Also if he knew Veth was starting up a camp he would be very slightly hurt she hadn't asked him to teach anything but also if she asked him he would 100% turn it down. 2/10. Never change, king.

Essek Thelyss: We could get all poetic about the yearning but realistically, he's still at the outpost, getting more and more twitchy but also managing to visit Caleb regularly. Possibly hooking up? But that might just be a reference to the bit and general vibe of the episode. Anyway he's probably feeling kind of bad, but hey! We know he ends up in Uthodurn eventually, and then gets to go back to Aeor only to be part the most simultaneously intense and oblique confession of love of all time. So probably 6/10 but buddy! It gets so much better, and pretty soon no less!

Caleb Widogast: There's good meta to be had about Caleb Widogast, six months later, and you are NOT going to find it here, in a post that's about shaking up wizards in an empty Pringles can. Well, at least not much. As indicated above I think this is likely pre-Aeor excursion with Essek; but Caleb feels like he is tentatively and hopefully building a life. It's slow, and it's a little quiet and small right now, but the fact that he's able to do so on his own is itself an immense victory. He probably gets to have lunch with Beau and dinner with Essek at least once a week each, he has a little cottage and his tower, and he's already becoming a beloved teacher. And he leveled up! 3/10. We love to see it.

Veth Brenatto: Jitters about her camp notwithstanding, she's fucking thriving. They're working on the apothecary but in the meantime she's finding a balance of what she loves to do professionally while still staying with her family, she's keeping in touch with the rest, and she's absolutely on point, astute, and hilarious this whole episode. And she is definitely using Tenser's Floating Disk for sex purposes. 1/10. It's Veth Brenatto's world; we're just living in it.

Allura Vyesoren: Pending, depending on what sword Yasha brings out next episode and whether Caleb turned in the staff. TBD/10.

Bonus!

Warlock Breakdown Tracker

Fjord (Stone?): Oh honey.

It's at least five simultaneous breakdowns and they're recharging with each rest like his spell slots. You know how one of the Uk'otoa temples had a hydra? It's a metaphor, or whatever. 10/10.

[angelbl-00-d]

7/1/24 (limit 1,200)

Breakfast:

Protein bar (180), mini blueberry muffins (81)

Lunch:

Egg (70), egg white (25), cantaloupe (27), honeydew (22)

Dinner:

Tortilla (60), deli chicken (50), tomato (17), lettuce (4)

Snacks:

Pringles (150), Swiss rolls (280), Special K Red Berries (140), almond milk (15), Yogurt (100), protein powder (75)

Drinks:

Green energy tea (0), sparkling water (0), coffee (5)

Water: 88oz/2.27L

Total: 1,296

My first wieiad and I went over my limit :( embarrassing way to start off. I ended I getting sent home from work about 6 hours early which completely ruined my entire plan for the day and I ended up snacking more than intended... I'll definitely do better tomorrow though

[gracegrove]

Me still on my Billy needs a dog/puppy in his life bs...

Because Billy found the cutest puppy one day during elementary school and followed it back to an abandoned house near his school.

The mother dog growled and snapped at him. Protecting her pups as the puppy Billy followed went back to it's mother.

Billy came back the next day with some of his lunch that he saved. He offered it up to the dog and her puppies. They took the scraps and Billy spent most of the afternoon there, getting acquainted.

From that point on, Billy would go visit them every day after school. Bringing pieces of his lunch or extra things he brought from home to feed and care for his new friends.

One day when he went to see them, they were gone. And when he arrived home Neil was waiting, demanding to know where the can of Pringles, and the box of Twinkies, and the package of lunch meat had gone over all these weeks. ... Even though he already knew.

He caught on to Billy weeks ago. Watched him. Found the dogs. Called animal control.

No son of his was gonna be soft.

@every-dayiwakeup